Willow peered through the gauzy curtains of the living room window at
the familiar dark shape approaching her doorstep. Two weeks had passed
since Spike had been her unlikely rescuer from the wig-wanting clowns
who had kidnapped her. Even now, thinking back on the way that night
had ended, a soft pink blush crept over her cheeks.

Spike had agreed to keep that episode a secret. Neither one of them
were keen on Buffy finding out that Willow had spent the night with
Spike, and just the thought of Xander learning that she and the blonde
vampire had done more than a little of their own clowning around was
enough to send her into spasms of nausea.

It never ceased to amaze her how Spike always seemed to know just which
evenings she was alone in her tiny apartment. She'd asked him if he was
spying on her, but all she'd received in answer was a grin that set
butterflies loose in her stomach and very un-Willowlike thoughts
fluttering through her mind.

After that first night, Spike had backed off, just a little. His
reaction hadn't really surprised her. Willow knew that the handsome
vampire couldn't really want her, but all the same, she felt strangely
saddened and just a bit empty that their encounter had merely been the
result of the strange events of that evening.

Hearing his soft footsteps climbing the stairs, she pulled open the
door before he could knock. Spike smiled down at her, took her hand,
and pulled her outside.

"Waiting for me, were you?" he asked smugly.

"I was watching from the window, hoping you'd show up. I was feeling
lonely tonight," she said, immediately kicking herself for saying so.

"Then I'm glad I'm here," he told her with no trace of conceit.

Their fingers intertwined as they walked along the street in
comfortable silence. Spike looked down at her, recognizing the familiar
sound of mental gears turning.

"Let's go watch the moon on the lake," she suggested.

"That's a long walk," he told her.

"Oh, sorry. You must have better things to--"

"The lake it is," he interrupted her quickly.

Neither spoke again until they had reached the shore of the lake. A
family of picnickers was packing up their things, and their soft voices
and quiet, sleepy laughter floated across the air. Spike sat down in
the grassy sand beside Willow as she sighed softly and looked out over
the water.

"What's the matter, pet?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered, reluctant to tell him. "I just...what are
we doing?"

Spike caught the faint fragrance of her hair as a gentle breeze pushed
wispy strands from her face. He took her hand between the two of his
and placed it in his lap.

"I mean, after that night we went to your apartment, you haven't...we
haven't...."

"Willow," he spoke, rescuing her from her embarrassed stutter. "It
isn't that I don't want to. Believe me. I'm just not sure you're ready
for this. We both know what you'll be up against if the slayer finds
out. It's hell enough having to work with her. If she knew how I felt
about you, she'd stake my ass under a tree in the park and wait for the
sun to rise."

The moon reflected in Willow's emerald eyes as she turned them on him,
"How do you feel...about me?"

"I want to be with you as much as you want to be with me. And don't
deny it," he said, hushing her oncoming protest. "I can smell it on you
every time I kiss you."

"Oh," she murmured, silently thanking the darkness that concealed her
hot blush.

Spike's eyesight clearly pierced through the darkness, and he smiled at
the reaction his words had evoked.

"You can't hide from me, little one, not even in the dark."

She giggled and shook her head, "I should have known better. But Buffy
doesn't know about us, and there's no reason she has to find out."

"You really think we can keep this a secret from her indefinitely?" he
asked.

"Probably not," she conceded. "But I don't even know if I care
anymore."

Spike fancied he felt his cold heart pounding inside his chest, and he
leaned forward and placed a long, soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm careful with you, pet, but I'm not a careful man. I'd tear out the
slayer's throat if she caused problems for us," he warned her. "Are you
ready for a confrontation like that?"

"Then let's not tell her," she answered. "This is between us. She
doesn't have to know. Anyway, she'd run straight to Giles and Xander,
and I don't think I could stand to listen to Giles' well-meaning
lectures and Xander's lunatic ravings."

"What about your werewolf? I thought you wanted to get things back on
track with him."

"I did, before," she admitted. "Do you know he goes out with a
different woman every weekend after his gigs? We've drifted apart.
Between past mistakes and just plain growing up, we're not even the
same two people we were before. I honestly think he's the one person in
my life who wouldn't go ballistic if he found out I'm seeing you. It
isn't such a long stretch from werewolf to vampire, I guess."

"I know what I want," he told her, his voice low and husky. "I need to
be sure you know what you want."

"I want you," she answered. "You don't treat me like Old Faithful."

"I thought Old Faithful was a geyser," he chuckled.

"It is," she nodded, grinning. "And if I never move past this
dependable, count on me, walk-all-over-me person that everyone else
seems determined to keep me under, I'll blow sky-high one of these
days."

"That could be interesting," he teased. "I'll bet you're hot when
you're angry."

"Thinks so?" she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

"Why not? You're hot when you aren't angry. You'd be positively molten
if you were."

Spike suddenly found Willow's soft warm lips planted firmly on his. He
deepened the kiss, inviting her tongue inside his mouth to play. He
leaned her backwards and moved over her. He cupped her breast in his
hand, gently pinching the nipple through her light t-shirt. Willow's
hand wove itself through his hair as she ravished his mouth with all
the abandon he was treating hers to. When he pulled away slightly to
allow her to breathe, she looked up at him, her reddened lips curled
into a soft smile, her eyes radiating her want.

A loud croak broke through the silence, and Willow quickly sat up,
throwing her arms around Spike and clinging fiercely to him.

"What was that?" her voice trembled.

"Nothing, luv. Just a frog," he reassured her.

"Where?!?" she squealed, dragging him up with her as she stood.

"Pet?" he looked down at her, his eyes mirroring his concern.

"Let's get out of here," she pleaded.

She turned to make a hasty retreat from the lake and screamed at the
sight behind them. Spike suddenly found his arms full of Willow as she
jumped into them. He looked from her frightened face to the ground to
find the two of them being eyed by great hoards of frogs.

"Oh, Goddess," she breathed, trembling violently in his arms. "Make
them go away, Spike!"

The vampire turned to step around the creatures and quickly discovered
they were surrounded on all sides by frogs. Willow was near tears, her
arms wrapped around his neck in a death-grip, if such a thing were
possible where a vampire was concerned. Some of the frogs were as big
as his hand, and all of them had fixed their beady eyes upon the two of
them. The croaking had grown to a deafening volume, and Willow
whimpered and buried her face in Spike's neck.

The vampire kicked out as one of the larger frogs hopped onto his boot.
It landed in the lake with a sizeable splash. Almost as if it were a
signal, the rest of the frogs began to attack, covering his feet and
jumping up on his pantlegs. Spike tightened his hold on Willow and took
off on a dead run, dodging some of the frogs, jumping over others, and
squishing more than a few as he headed away from the lake. When he
reached the road, he stopped short and gasped in an unneeded breath.
The asphalt surface was covered by dozens of frogs.

"Willow," he shouted above the din of the croaking. "You have to let
go, luv. I can't do this and carry you."

He lowered her feet to the ground and clutched her tightly around the
waist. Tears were spilling down over her cheeks, and her legs were
shaking until it was all she could do to stand up. She pasted herself
against him as the frogs assaulted them. Spike's eyes were drawn to the
dying embers of the barbecue the picnickers had left behind. He grabbed
Willow's hand firmly in his own and dragged her toward it. He scooped
up two tree limbs from a pile near the grill, set the ends ablaze in
the glowing coals, and handed one of them to Willow.

The frogs immediately stopped their advance as the vampire fought off
the closest with the flaming tree limb. He lifted Willow up onto the
top of a nearby picnic table. The sickening stench of burning frog
flesh filled the air as Spike, enraged that Willow had been so upset,
went after the frogs. Several dozen of them perished before the rest
made their way to the safety of the lake. He quickly returned to Willow
and pulled her sobbing body into his arms.

Spike led her away from the lake, making sure it was well behind them
before he stopped to hug her close to him. She hiccuped against his
chest and drew in a ragged breath of air.

"You're safe now, baby," he murmured into her ear.

"Oh, Spike," she whispered. "Frogs...of all things in the whole
universe...frogs! I'd rather face a entire army of demons. I'm going to
have nightmares for months."

"Not if I can help it," he smiled, cupping her chin in his hand and
turning her red-rimmed eyes to his.

She smiled weakly and wrapped herself around him as his mouth found
hers. He rocked her still-trembling body in his arms for several
minutes before gently taking her hand.
***
Spike pulled the covers over the two of them and drew Willow close in
his arms. He rubbed small, soothing circles on her back and kissed her
forehead.

"First clowns and now...frogs," the mere word sent a slight tremor
through her body. "Will it always take something awful for us to be
together like this?"

"No," he answered, caressing her cheek with his hand. "To hell with the
slayer and all the rest of them. I won't tell if you won't. And if they
do find out--sod 'em. I want you, damn it."

"Me, too, damn it," she grinned. "As long as you don't mind waking up
to my screams of horror when those nightmares start."

"Are you kidding?" he chuckled. "I'm counting on it. Someone's going to
have to calm you down."

"And take my mind off it," she added, kissing him.

"And tire you out so you can go back to sleep," he grinned.

"Oh, yeah, that one. I like that one," she agreed as her hand traveled
down his chest and firm stomach to encircle his hardening cock.

Spike chuckled and nipped at her throat as she pulled him down onto
her.

"I was so scared, Spike," she whispered, looking up into the blue of
his eyes.

"I know, baby," he answered, his lips brushing over her eyelids.

"Make me forget," she asked.

And he did.

End.

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